LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
409 
their mode of action, to reward an individual for restoring 
property, which he had stolen ; the Esquimaux asserted, that he 
was not the thief; that, however, did not alter the merits of 
the case, the property had been stolen; and having only the bare 
word of the Esquimaux, that he was not the thief, he was ordered 
to take his departure from the ship, which he did accordingly ; 
secretly determining within himself, never to take upon himself 
again, the character of a restorer of stolen property, without 
he was certain of being rewarded for it. 
Although the Esquimaux, who had established themselves in the 
immediate vicinity of the ship, had so conducted themselves as 
not to give any particular offence to the crew of the Victory, 
yet their society in the immediate neighbourhood, was not 
to be much coveted, for an extra degree of vigilance was required 
to be observed, and every article obliged to be carefully stowed 
away, which was likely to be within their grasp to purloin. It 
was, therefore, a matter of great satisfaction to Capt. Ross, 
when, early on the morning of the 19th, an unusual bustle was 
observed amongst the Esquimaux huts ; and in the course of three 
hours he observed, that they were totally abandoned ; and the 
former inmates with their dogs and sledges, and all their move- 
able property, were seen directing their course to the south west. 
No compliments passed on parting; no frothy expressions of 
their high consideration for each other, were exchanged. No 
tears of regret were shed ; no declarations of their unalterable 
respect and esteem ; no pledges of an everlasting affection, passed 
between a single individual on board the Victory, and any of the 
lovely maidens of the tribe : unlike the Jews, when they were 
driven out of Israel, the Esquimaux did not think their former 
habitation worthy of a single parting look; but they left it with 
all its desolations around it, as one which they never wished nor 
expected to see again. On the departure of the natives, their 
huts were visited by a party from the Victory; and the first 
idea, which struck them, was, how human beings could accus¬ 
tom themselves to live in such a state of the most utter wretch¬ 
edness, or in what particular, life could by them be considered 
as a blessing. 
18. 3 G 
